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According to notes made by my father in 1959, from a discussion he had with Henry Payne's second son Charles Hallam Payne (1870-1960) the year before the latter died, Henry "came up to Normanton (where shop is in St James Rd) [from Grange Street, Litchurch] and curate wanted house building. Henry built this house but curate didn't come so he turned it into a shop and eventually got licence and ran the place."
Henry Payne is shown in electoral registers (extracts from the Derby Local Studies Library, by kind courtesy of Paul Slater) living in Grange Street and Alexandra Street, Litchurch until 1875. By 20 Jun 1876, when his eldest son Charles Vincent Payne (1868-1941) was enrolled at St Andrew's Middle Class School (St Andrew's Middle Class School Admission Register, Derbyshire County Records Office, Matlock, Courtesy of Nigel Aspdin), their address was shown as St James' Road. Then on Thursday 27 September 1877, Henry was granted "an out-door beer license to premises in St. James'-road, New Normanton." (in The Derby Mercury, dated 3 October 1877, courtesy of a trial subscription to Gale Digital Collections Library). He presumably he built the premises around 1875.
Report in The Derby Mercury, dated 3 October 1877
Henry Payne left Derby with his family, by then including his wife Henrietta, sons Charles Vincent, Charles Hallam and Frank, and daughter Lucy Mary, in late 1877 and spent a few months living at Ash House, Turnditch, where it is possible that he built a new "infants classroom" at the National School. In August 1878, they returned to St James' Road, and the two older boys were re-enrolled at St Andrews Middle Class School, Litchurch. Henry had the off-license transferred back to his name on 8 October 1878 (in The Derby Mercury, dated 9 October 1878).
After a brief stint near Bladensburg in Maryland (United States), where he tried his hand at farming (described in a previous blog posting Coming to America and in a more lengthy article here), Henry and family were again living in the shop, at what was now referred to as number 38 St James' Road, by mid-November 1880. The census taken on 3 April the following year described Henry merely as a "grocer."
1881 Census record for 38 St James' Road, Normanton, Derby, Derbyshire
PRO Ref. RG11/3388/10/11/46 Image © & courtesy of Gale Digital Collections
The 1881/1882 Ordnance Survey map of Derby (scan of a photocopy in my father's collection, originally from the Derby Local Studies Library) shows only a few houses on St James' Road, but includes number 38, situated on the south-west corner of St. James' Road and Hastings Street.
1881/1882 Ordnance Survey Map of St James' Road, Normanton
Image © Derby Local Studies Library & courtesy of Bud Payne
On 30 June 1885 Henry submitted a Building Notice and Plan (No. 81) to the Derby Borough Council (acting as the Urban Sanitary Authority) notifying them of his intention to build "one living room attaching premises No. 38 St. James' Rd" for himself. Then on 19 July 1887 he inserted an advertisement in The Derby Mercury to the effect that he intended to apply for a license to sell "beer, wine, spirits, liqueurs (to be drunk on the premises) at a House and Shop situate at 38, St James'-road," at the next General Annual Licensing Meeting to be held on 1 September.
Advertisement in The Derby Mercury, dated 17 August 1887
The Annual Derby Borough Licensing (or Brewster) Sessions were, in due course, held on Thursday 1st September, and a report in The Derby Mercury dated 7th September described Henry's application, supported by a Mr. Briggs. It seems likely that this was William Briggs, a solicitor living at Evington House on the Stenson road (a later reference in The Derby Mercury in relation to a separate matter referes to Henry's solicitors, Messrs. Briggs, Clifford & Pinder). However, the application for a license encountered considerable opposition from several gentleman who lived or owned land in the neighbourhood, local vicars and churchwardens, and the St James' School Board, and it was refused. Henry tried again for a full license in August 1891, but it was similarly declined.
1891 Census record for 38 St James' Road, Normanton, Derby, Derbyshire
PRO Ref. RG12/2739/99/18/106 Image © & courtesy of Gale Digital Collections
In late 1893 or early 1894, presumably due to the large number of houses that had been constructed there in the previous couple of decades, the whole of St James' Road was completely re-numbered. This resulted in the Payne residence at number 38 (named by Henry prior to January 1891 as "The Hollies") becoming number 83, a confusing, but concidental, reverseal of digits. In June 1894, soon after their return from Chicago, Henry's eldest son Charles Vincent Payne, his wife Amy Payne (1867-1932) and infant son Charles Leslie Lionel Payne (1892-1975) - my grandfather - moved into the house and shop on the corner of St James' Road and Hastings Street. Henry and his wife Henrietta (1843-1914) moved to a new, and larger house, which he had built in late 1893 at the western end of St James' Road, number 139, also named "The Hollies."
"Elevation next St James' Road," 139 St James' Road, Normanton, Derby, Derbyshire, from Building Notice & Plan No. 205, submitted by Henry Payne to the Borough of Derby on 10 July 1893, according to the Public Health Act, 1875.
© the Derby Local Studies Library & courtesy of Angela Hercliffe
Charles Vincent, or Charlie as he was known to his family and friends, only lasted two years in the beer-selling business (Kelly's 1895 Trade Directory shows him as a "builder and beer retailer"), before deciding that his younger brother was better suited to the trade than he was. On 11 February 1896, the license was transferred to Charles Hallam Payne (The Derby Mercury, dated 12 February 1896), and Charlie moved across the road to the house at 17 Hastings Street, previously occupied by Hallam, from where he worked as an estate agent.
1901 Census record for 38 St James' Road, Normanton, Derby, Derbyshire
PRO Ref. RG13/3223/116/6/36 Image © & courtesy of Gale Digital Collections
"Uncle Hallam" and his wife Sarah (1870-1946) were to remain at number 83 for almost two decades, as indicated by electoral registers, trade directory entries and census records. A 1901 Ordnance Survey map of St James' Road shows it completely built up.
1901 Ordnance Survey Map of St James' Road, Normanton
Image © Derby Local Studies Library & courtesy of Bud Payne
In December 1903 Hallam made an application to build "1 New W.C." at the back of the house, as shown in the two attached plans.
Plan showing location of "1 New W.C." built by Hallam Payne at 83 St James' Road after 9 Dec 1903
"1 New W.C." built by Hallam Payne at 83 St James' Road after 9 Dec 1903
Images © Derby Local Studies Library & courtesy of Angela Hercliffe
It is possible that this outhouse still exists, as there appears to be a small building in the exact location in the current garden of number 83. The "stable" building marked on the full version of the plan shown above can also be seen.
View Larger Map
Although the photograph included at the head of this article is undated, the age of my grandfather Leslie Payne appears to be about 16, suggesting a date of around 1908. My father wrote the following a few years ago:
[Uncle Hallam] seems to have run the off-licence until some time in 1914 - I have a beer order postcard of that year bearing his name.
Click image to see front of card
Dad worked for him as a delivery boy after leaving school and before going to Canada in 1912 ... During World War I, Hallam's youngest brother Fred took over the business: his initial appears on a circular advertising customers that he was 'delivering Hardy's Famous Starbright Ales (in Bottle) again', citing a provision of the Defence of the Realm Act which required payment before delivery, instead of 'the Carter receiving payment on delivery, as before.' Use of a capital for Carter makes me think that about 1914 the business employed an outsider to deliver the goods, although a few years earlier CHP had his own horse and dray. An undated photo shows this equipage standing outside the shop, driver aloft holding the reins, Uncle and Auntie standing in the open doorway, Auntie in a long apron ...
... as are the woman assistant (member of the family?) on her right and my Father on her left, with his hand on what looks like a 3-wheeled forerunner of today's supermarket trolley (a skip?).
Dad looks to be about 16 or so, not much taller than his uncle, I put the date at c. 1908. He never told me how long he worked for CHP, but he believed that his big hands developed as a result of carrying quart bottles by the neck, so he must have been there a few years. 'Sprout picker's hands' they used to call them in the Vale of Evesham. But CHP also had big hands - from handling jack planes in Chicago? Uncle was already bald, and Auntie's paunch was becoming prominent when the picture was taken, but their sleeves were rolled up and they must have worked hard to retire at such an early age - he was about 44. Great Uncle Fred and his family: wife Rachel, sons Clarence and Harry, daughter Christine, carried on the family business until it was sold in 1956.
83 St James' Road in 1987, Image © & courtesy of Diana Burl
The premises were still used as a corner shop when my sister photographed them for my father in 1987, albeit they then sold curry powder as well as Kimberley ales. The firm named Hardy, of Kimberley in Nottinghamshire, amalgamated with Hansons Limited in 1930. Hardy & Hanson's Starbright was still being brewed as late as February 2006, and according to Wikipedia the Kimberley Brewery, then the last independent one in Nottinghamshire, was sold to the Greene King brewery in 2006.
Paul Slater in January 2000, and Nigel Aspdin in April 2008, have very kindly sent me photographs of the shop at number 83, illustrating the gradual and rather sad deterioration of the shop over the last two decades. Although the house is obviously still lived in and looked after, the shop hasn't been operated as such for many years.
83 St James' Road in January 2000, Image © & courtesy of Paul Slater
83 St James' Road in April 2008, Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin


text: Mark Schill of Praxis Strategy Group crunched the numbers for us to determine the changes in STEM employment from 2001 to 2012 in the 51 largest metropolitan statistical areas. Notably absent from our list of the 10 metro areas that enjoyed the strongest growth over that period: the country's largest cities. Chicago, New York and Los Angeles all lost tech jobs over the past 11 years. Silicon Valley? For all the buzz over Facebook and other hot social media companies, the San Jose area has 12.6% fewer tech jobs today than in 2001.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rapper T.I. pleaded guilty Thursday to federal weapons possession charges, and will receive a sentence that includes prison time after he completes a period of community service.
In the year that he is awaiting sentencing, T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, must complete at least 1,000 hours of a total 1,500 hours of community service, talking to youth groups about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs.
He will be sentenced to serve about 12 months in prison after completing the community service, officials said. His prison time could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of the terms of the deal and good behavior, they said.
Harris, 27, who was dressed in a gray business suit, told the judge he understands the terms of the agreement.
He pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Harris is one of pop music's most successful artists. His sixth album, "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," was released July 3, debuting at No. 1. He appeared in the 2007 film "American Gangster," which starred Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said Harris will remain "under strict bond conditions" during the next year.
He said Harris' sentencing was deferred "to allow him to perform a unique and extensive program  at least 1,000 hours  of community service. That service will focus on using his high public visibility and his talents to tell at-risk young people about the mistakes he has made and to educate them about the dangers of violence, guns, gangs and drugs."
Nahmias said under the agreement, Harris will have to serve a year in prison and three years of supervised home detention, perform a total of 1,500 hours of community service and pay a $100,000 fine.
Failure to fulfill his obligations will net Harris a "much longer prison sentence," Nahmias said.
Harris spoke to the media briefly after the hearing.
"I'd like to thank God for blessing me with a second chance in life and success," he said, adding that he takes the charges against him very seriously.
"I'm looking forward to turning this negative time in my life into a positive," he said. "I know I have a long road of redemption to travel."
He was arrested Oct. 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.
Harris was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
He was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he was released on $3 million bond on Oct. 26.
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal.
Harris, who is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records, grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003 album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to three years behind bars.


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The Junior Olympic program is a progressional series of meets consisting of preliminary, Association, Regional, and National meets. Athletes are required to enter online at the first level of competition, as advancement is based upon performance (i.e., an athlete cannot directly submit an entry form for the Regional competition; he/she must have competed and advanced at the Association meet). Athletes must meet certain eligibility requirements to compete. Online Declarations for the National Championships will be open June 10, 2012 through Friday, July 13, 2012 at 11:59 pm ET. Click here to declare an athlete into competition for the 2012 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships! National Junior Olympic Waiver
Advancement Process
Per USATF Rule 305.1(d): "An Association is allocated, by agreement with other Associations in its Region, a certain number of athletes and relay teams from the Association level to the Regional level through the Association Championships."
Track & field shall advance five individuals and five relay teams from each Regional Championship to the National Championship. These shall be the top five finishers in each event. The combined events shall advance the top two placed individuals and any others who meet a performance standard at the Regional Championship.
Athletes who qualify based on the performance standard MUST declare their intent to compete by completing the registration process for the National Championships online.
Entry for the National Championships must be submitted online -- entries cannot be accepted by any other method. NO on-site entry changes will be allowed.
Athletes who compete in the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships or IAAF World Youth Championships may be entered in the National Junior Olympic meet without having to compete in the Association or Regional meet provided that they meet the Youth Athletics age limits. Acquisition of the waiver and completion of the entry to the National meet must be made prior to the Regional meet. Please contact your regional coordinator to obtain this form.


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Rarely will you see a film that spends as much time looking at the back of its lead's head as Children Of Sarajevo, which won a special award from the jury at Cannes earlier this year.
Written and directed by the Sarajevo-born Aida Bejic, it tells the story of Rahima (Marija Pikic), who's assumed guardianship of her teenage brother, Nedim, after the deaths of their parents. She works as a cook in a restaurant and spends most of the rest of her time trying to keep Nedim from getting into trouble. She's also a Muslim who's recently started wearing a headscarf, which puzzles some of her friends and has, Nedim insists, increased the number of people at school who pick on him.
But back to looking at the back of Rahima's head. Bejic is particularly fond of very long takes and tracking shots, whether she's following Rahima through the kitchen at work or following her on a walk through her neighborhood. And when Bejic as a director follows, she really follows — the handheld camera is on the back of Rahima's head, giving the distinct impression that she's constantly being pursued — which is about right, given the dire nature of some of what she's facing.
At its heart, this is a relatively simple story of a sister trying to keep her family together. But it's also a fine opportunity to be reminded that directors have a lot of options when they compose shots, and the fact that they don't usually shoot a certain way doesn't mean they can't. It's very unusual to watch an actress so intently from behind as she takes a purposeful stroll, but the technique works well here to create the tension and worry that comes from seeing a lead character constantly moving away from the camera.
Part of the story here is that Rahima doesn't have as much help as she needs, really; raised during a war, she's up against everything trying to corrupt her brother, a system that would be just as happy to cart him off to an orphanage and a boss who's too much of a jerk to even give her the slip that shows how much money she makes so she can prove she's fit to keep Nedim with her.
There's such remarkable tension within this character that when, fairly late in the film, she takes her headscarf off and you see her shake out her hair for the first time, it feels revelatory — not because wearing her hair down is better than the scarf by any means, but because it's a figurative exhalation of breath that she hasn't taken until that very moment.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
A Surprise Christmas Gift
Not too many people are aware that award-winning illustrator Louis Glanzman and his lovely wife Fran have been members of the Today's Inspiration list for some time now. Some people may already know the name Glanzman as that of Sam Glanzman, Lou's brother, who has drawn comics for many years, and is especially well known among fans of war comics.
I first discovered Louis Glanzman's work in the pages of True Magazine in the summer of 2004 and started hunting around for enough other examples to make up a week's worth for Today's Inspirations. As soon as I was ready, I searched online for info about Louis Glanzman and was thrilled to discover that he had a website. I contacted the Glanzmans and have had many wonderful exchanges with them ever since.
While preparing for this year's "Countdown to Christmas" I discovered this beautiful piece Lou had done for Collier's back in 1955. I emailed the Glanzmans hoping they could tell me a bit about this piece and about working for Collier's in general. Unfortunately, Lou has not been feeling too well and the last couple of weeks before Christmas came and went, but just after I had sent out the last piece for 2005 a reply came via Fran. Despite feeling under the weather, Lou had gratiously answered my questions, and so we are able to enjoy this surprise Christmas gift, just in the nick of time.
Despite fifty years having passed, Lou did remember doing this piece. It was done for Collier's art director, Bill Chessman through the assistance of Lou's art agent, John Locke - a well known agent at that time.
Lou did work for both Collier's ( a short story illustration plus a feature ) every week during that period, but this did not interfere with his getting work from The Saturday Evening Post, where he did several covers as well as inside illustrations.
Two neighbourhood boys were the models for this piece, and Lou used them often for other illustrations.
He considers working for Collier's a high point in his long and illustrious career, but his big break in the field had come some five or so years earlier when he had done a montage illustration of Louis Armstrong ( with a manuscript by Louis Armstrong! ) for True magazine.
I just want to thank Lou and Fran for taking the time to provide this gift of fascinating information. I feel very fortunate to have made their acquaintance and I know everyone who reads this wishes Lou a speedy recovery to good health. Best wishes for the rest of the holidays!
You can see some other examples of Lou's work on his site as well as at my Flickr.
8 comments:
- Anonymous6:24 PM
Thanks Leif, I admire you taking the time to share all these wonderful illustrator's work.
I should also mention that the layouts that feature these works are fantastic as well.
I was really impress with the Ric Grasso Santa illustration and layout.
You've inspired me to start my own blog.
Stay tooned.
Best wishes and have a great New Year! I was familiar with Mr. Glanzman's Time Magazine covers (his RFK cover was a personal favorite that I clipped out as a boy)and I have enjoyed some of his civil war illustrations, but I had no idea of the breadth and depth of his work before. He obviously adapted his style to deal with changing trends over the years, yet he maintained a standard of excellence that was quite impressive. Where are all the great painter/illustrators like this today?
Thanks for the link to his web site, which I studied with great interest. If you are still in touch with them, please give Mr. Glanzman and his family our best wishes for the holidays. He has led quite a career.


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Davis and the surrounding areas has some spooky places. Haunted houses, mysterious bridges, abandoned factories, etc. This page attempts to be a comprehensive list the spooky, creepy, and mysterious places in the area. Some places may be sites of....paranormal activity.
The Baxter House - Abandoned for nearly 40 years, this house on UC Davis property near the airport looks very haunted and upon walking inside, it feels very haunted too. The house was boarded up and the interior was inaccessible for quite some time, until the house was burned down by the fire department. The grounds, however, are still pretty spooky.
The Werner-Hamel House - Built in 1859, this is the oldest structure in Davis. Supposedly owned by cattle ranchers who worked their laborers to death, and haunted by the spirits of the latter. This is very unlikely, but the house is fairly creepy looking. It is located in South Davis.
Historic City Hall - Davis PD moved to a new building recently, after having been in the old City Hall that was built in 1938 or so. Downstairs, after it was vacated, in the Women's restroom, there was seen a wild haired redheaded woman rushing toward the 2nd stall door in an 'attack' posture with outstretched arms and claw-like hands towards a person's face.
- Taken from http://theshadowlands.net/places/california1.htm - QuynhNguyen
Dumpster at Slatter's Court - Simply put: 157 pounds of human remains that were stolen from the UC Davis medical center were found in this dumpster in the June of 2003. David Lawrence Beale, a former autopsy assistant, was later convicted of stealing the bodies.
Evil south Silo Bathroom - Always really dark at night and with holes in the walls so people can look in.
FearOverload Haunted House - FearOverload Premier Haunted House located in the Westfield Downtown Plaza in Sacramento. Are you ready to experience true fear this October?
Davis Cemetery - Spooky for obvious reasons.
I grew up two houses down from here and we used to play here all the time. I never had a spooky feeling or felt the presence of ghosts, despite the fact that I believe they exist. Its a pretty calm and relaxing place actually. -JimSchwab
The Tremont Church and Cemetery - The first time I saw wooden head stones was here; it was late at night. They are old, worn of all writing, and very spooky. Take Mace south into the farm fields for about 3, give or take, miles, and then take a right on Tremont Street. It's easy to miss, but worth finding. The church is about a 1/2 mile west on Tremont, on the left.
- Please respect this place when visiting. - Wayne Schiller
The Binghampton Cemetery - This place is not really in Davis, but a few miles south of Dixon on Hwy 113. It is an old cemetery with many stones from the 1800's. Its location is remote and many of the stones have been chipped or abused, making the place desolate and lonely.
- Visit, but please respect the graves. - JeffTolentino
Site of the Chiles Mansion - Site of a 1970's murder-suicide.
- "It's a gazebo and it's haunted. — BrianTrott"
- Once, on a late night visit to the moon garden, my boyfriend and I spied a shadowy figure standing directly in the center of the gazebo. When my bf shined his keychain flashlight at the figure, it turned out to be an adult male standing perfectly still with his back to us. He shined the light on the guy for a few seconds but he never turned around or moved at all. Very creepy experience. - AynReyes
The Foundation - During the day, not so creepy, During the night, creepy. It is sometimes featured in ghost stories.
Orchard Park Greenhouses - Not too spooky, but keeping the idea of mutant, killer plants in mind may help.
Stevenson Bridge - Built in 1923, this bridge passes over Putah Creek and is is covered in graffiti. Beneath it lies abandoned vehicles, among other things, as well as (if the rumors are true) trolls. Maybe trolls, but the abandoned vehicles have been somehow?!? removed —StevenDaubert
Disturbia : Haunted House 2017 (by DHS Jazz Choir)
Saturday, Oct 28, 2017: 7pm - midnight
Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Estrella Pl, North Davis (follow signs from Covell at Catalina). $5
Former Spooky Places
East Eighth Abandoned House — Formerly a big dirty white house between D and F on Eight. It had been abandoned for years yet the lawn gets mowed every few weeks or so and it had a paper delivered to it. The house was filled with garbage. Piles and piles of dusty messy garbage throughout each room. The elderly couple that lived in the house passed away several years ago. Their children had been in and out of court fighting over who gets the house. Ownership of the house was in limbo for a while but it has now been renovated and is occupied.
The Jagged Tree — This tree was in the field at the corner of Covell and Pole Line Road. This tree looked like it was straight out of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. Unfortunately, the tree is no more, having been broken by the winds.
Hunt Wesson Plant — The cavernous abandoned tomato factory near Nugget market on Pole Line. It was empty for many years. The the Davis SWAT team trained there.
- This place has recently been demolished and is currently just a foundation. No buildings are left. If you venture out there on full moons however, you can still hear the cry of millions of tomatoes being squashed into ketchup - JeffTolentino


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Higher Mathematics 2nd Paper Question 2015 Barishal Board
Higher Mathematics 2nd Paper Question 2015 Barishal Board. Mathematicians seek patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians solve the truth or falsity of conjectures by a mathematical proof. The research needed to solve mathematical problems can take years, or even centuries of investigation supported. Since the pioneering work of Giuseppe Peano (1858-1932), David Hilbert (1862-1943), and others on the axiomatic systems by the end of the 19th century, it became customary to show that mathematical research establishing the truth by rigorous deduction from axioms of appropriately chosen and definitions. When these structures are good mathematical models of real phenomena, mathematical reasoning can give an overview or predictions on the nature.
Higher Mathematics 2nd Paper Question 2015 Barishal Board
Click here to download the above Board Question in PDF format
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Well, we've said it before: Technology is changing education. It's flipping the classroom, bringing instructional videos to the masses, and dragging online higher education into legitimacy. Investors have begun to hear the call, as was evidenced today when Benchmark Capital made its largest seed investment to date -- $25 million -- in a startup/university called The Minerva Project.
Sure, it's not quite the $41 million Color raised pre-launch, but it's certainly head-turning for an education startup. Hopefully it can avoid the rough early start and crushing expectations that come along with big seed rounds. To help it take flight, the startup is announcing that Larry Summers, former Harvard President and U.S. Secretary of Treasury will chair its advisory board.
At first blush, with this kind of big, early funding, well-known names, and outsized ambition, the project is intriguing to say the least, if not full of bravado. What do I mean? Well, describing itself as "the first elite American University to be launched in more than a century," The Minerva Project is aiming to rethink the role of colleges and universities, taking into account the ways in which the Web has completely altered the distribution of and access to information.
Minerva Founder and CEO Ben Nelson (who is also the former CEO of Snapfish) points out the fact that the resources of the country's elite universities are already constrained, as he cites the example of Yale, which recently made the decision to add 250 students to its incoming class. Doing so cost the top university a quarter of a billion dollars. Albeit just one example, the tuition rates at both colleges and universities is rising, saddling students with debt that often takes years, if not decades, to pay off.
By creating an educational experience that is built from online resources, Nelson says that Minerva won't be subject to the same scarcity of resources that besets institutions today. Of course, it's always easier to be the metaphorical new kid in school and stand on the shoulders of giants, even if those giants are getting old. An online approach to education also means that Minerva will be offering a tuition that the CEO says "is half of what it is for top colleges."
What else is it about this new project that has attracted the attention of investors and financial gurus like Larry Summers? The Minerva Project aims to offer a liberal arts education that is defined by an "extraordinarily rigorous" learning and admissions process. Not only does Minerva want to attract the same bright young minds that attend Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, it wants a global student body, both at home and abroad.
Nelson says that he envisions it like this: Just like traditional institutions, Minerva will be a four-year university, with two semesters, and four classes per semester. But, for the first year, Minerva students will live in their home countries, learning the core curriculum, so that by their sophomore year, in spite of language differences, all the students will have the same basics.
Then, from the start of their sophomore year through graduation, students will be encouraged to live in a new country (or at the very least, a new city) every semester. In this way, Minerva wants its education to be informed by experience and by the resources available online: "We're not going to offer a single foreign language class, but if you're not trilingual by the end of your four years, you won't graduate," Nelson says.
When I asked Nelson whether or not the institution will have a physical campus, he said that it very definitely will have as many campuses as students require. Much of that obviously depends on demand, if the school's student body has a bunch of kids from Germany, they might establish a campus in Berlin. Much of that will be determined by the students themselves, who will be encouraged to live together as they move through their four years, but won't be living in dorms, at least not in the traditional sense.
And speaking of those students, Minerva is designing its admissions project so that it does not consider factors such as lineage, athletic ability, state or country of origin, or capacity to donate. So, don't expect Minerva to have classes that demonstrate "perfectly curated" diversity, don't expect it to have an NCAA Championship-winning football team, and don't expect to find any classmates who are there because their parents donated a new building. It's all based on intellectual ability. If you have a big brain, are creative, curious, and willing to work hard, you just may make the cut.
In terms of the day to day, classes will consist of 10-25 kids, and will be delivered online, likely in the same mobile/web live, synchronous model employed by 2tor in its degree-focused online ed programs. And thanks to the growing quality of educational content on the Web from startups like Udacity, Udemy, and ShowMe, for example, students will be expected to supplement their four curriculum-based classes with online learning. From the sound of it, some of it will be "encouraged," and some of it may become part of the curriculum. No doubt Minerva will be looking to partner with many of these growing edtech companies to build its online platform.
In terms of faculty, the startup is creating what Nelson calls a "Nobel Prize for teaching" that will award the best existing professors (currently teaching at top universities) presumably with some financial incentive to help it create the content for its courses, in turn allowing those professors to "preserve the most challenging courses of their careers." To support the content created by these Lords of Academia, Minerva will be looking to hire Ph.D graduates whose strength is in teaching -- not in research.
From all this, you can see that a somewhat unique educational experience is starting to take shape, but, aside from the significantly lower cost, one of the things I like the most about the project is the so-called social contract (although this may end up in writing, who knows) the institution will strike with its students. "If we actually want to accelerate the life trajectory of these students," the founder says, "our job can't be over at the moment they graduate." Upon graduation, rather than thinking of students as alumni whose job is to support them with donations, Nelson wants it to be the other way around.
This doesn't mean it will be sending students a check in the mail every month, but the school actually wants to help students thrive after graduation by finding them like-minded collaborators, hunting down grant money, and fellowships -- actively, not passively. For those who graduated from institutions without strong alumni networks or had to deal with indolent career counseling, this probably sounds pretty good. Of course, this all sounds good in theory, if not a little nebulous, but if the school plans to grow beyond classes of 250 kids, and in doing so, cultivate lifelong (as it claims) symbiotic and supportive relationship that facilitates Genius Grants, Nobel Prizes and placement in management positions. It's going to need a real network, real counseling -- not just ambitious self-starters.
Of course, this is where Minerva reserves the right to be meritorious in the support it gives post-graduation. "The more you push the world forward, the more you really buckle down and work hard, the more we will promote you -- find funding for your startup, connect you with career opportunities," the former RedBeacon Chairman says. Minerva wants to create an ethos of creating, so if students' self-promotion is inversely proportional to the work they put in and what they accomplish, the less Minerva supports them. And vice versa. Now that is a contract I can get behind.
Right now, this all sounds pretty audacious, in both the right ways, and perhaps in slightly delusional ways as well. And to that point, the cherry on top? Minerva will begin accepting its first class in 2014. Yup. Audacity of hope aside, Minerva is building on principles that will resonate with many people, young and old.
Regardless of whether or not Minerva becomes the next Harvard, higher education (and beyond) is broken, and these experiments are imperative to finding a workable, sustainable solution that creates a new, better way of learning over the long-term -- and doesn't ignore the underlying, institutional problems.
For more on The Minerva Project, check it out at home here.


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George Milton RHODES, Congress, PA (1898-1978)
RHODES George Milton , A Representative from Pennsylvania; born in Reading, Berks County, Pa., February 24, 1898; attended Reading public schools; during the First World War served in the United States Army; printer, Reading Eagle Co., 1913-1927; business manager, Reading Labor Advocate, 1927-1942; A.F. of L. labor representative; editor and manager of The New Era, 1942-1949; president of Federated Trades Council, A.F. of L. Central Labor Union 1928-1951; member of the Reading Housing Authority 1938-1948; delegate to Socialist National Conventions in 1928 and 1932, and to Democrat National Conventions in 1952 and 1956; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1949-January 3, 1969); was not a candidate for reelection in 1968 to the Ninety-first Congress; resided in Reading, Pa., where he died October 23, 1978; interment in Forest Hills Memorial Park, Reiffton, Pa.
Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present
Related Links


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The trapper must be currently licensed with the CDFW (passing a certified trapping examination). Hired trappers must follow all rules and regulations set forth in T-14 CCR 465.5 and FG 4005.
Show All Answers
No. Coyotes are considered non-game wildlife with no special protections (FG 4150).
Yes. However, it is best to leave trapping up to the trained professional. You are not required to procure a trapping license, but you are required to abide by regulations set forth in the Use of Traps T-14 CCR 465.5.
Yes, as long as they are doing so on HOA owned land or with property owner permission.
No, unless authorized for a specific research purpose.
No. Coyotes that are legal to trap must be immediately put to death or released. Relocating a problem coyote is not an option because it only moves the problem to someone else's neighborhood. It is also not sound wildlife management practice due to potential disease transfer and disrupting the ecosystem, potentially causing an imbalance in the predator-prey cycle.
No. Hazing, otherwise known as "Aversive Conditioning," is a process used to teach the coyote to fear humans. It is a good thing in that its intent is to save the animal's life. When coyotes become too habituated, and lose their natural fear of humans, they can become a threat to public safety. Basically, "A Fed Coyote is a Dead Coyote". Some urban coyotes become comfortable in close proximity to people. To safely coexist it's important to modify this behavior. Urban coyote behavior needs to be reshaped to encourage coyotes to avoid contact with humans and pets. Hazing is the process that facilitates this change and is by necessity a community response to encounters with coyotes. Hazing employs immediate use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or discourage undesirable behavior or activity. Deterrents include loud noises, spraying water, bright lights, throwing objects and shouting. Hazing does not harm or damage animals, humans or property. Behavioral change also involves human activities such as how to identify and remove attractants and how to responsibly protect pets.
Intentionally or unintentionally providing food for coyotes causes the coyote to lose their fear of humans and become habituated. This leads to changing the coyote's feeding behavior causing them to become dependent on humans for food; increasing habituation, leading the coyote to its eventual death.
Urban coyotes have developed a different lifestyle from coyotes in rural environments. Cities support larger populations of animals in close proximity to people for the following reasons: 1) Increased access to food. People provide easy access to large supplies of food by leaving pet food, bird seed, unsecure compost or trash and fallen fruits in yards. Unintentional and intentional feeding of coyotes encourages bold behavior and increases aggression towards people and pets. Intentional feeding makes people a target source of food. 2) Increased access to water. Year-round water supplies in cities from man-made ponds, lakes, flood control channels, pet water dishes, pools, fountains etc. increase water for prey animals and coyotes. 3) Increased potential shelter. Parks, golf courses, buildings, vehicles, sheds, decks, crawl spaces, overgrown vegetation, among others increase the amount and variability of coyote shelters. Steps must be taken to address: safety concerns, misconceptions, and appropriate responses to potential threats to human safety. Coyotes can easily remain close to people, pets, homes and businesses without detection. 4) Increased exposure to people. Regular interaction between coyotes and people without negative consequences encourages habituation or increases comfort levels with human contact. People are, or may be, disregarded as a source of danger. 5) Increased exposure to pets. Pets are a normal part of an urban landscape. To urban coyotes they are considered other animals in their habitat. Pets can be considered, potential prey, or a potential competitor in coyote territory.
While the CDFW is NOT a wildlife rehabilitator, they recognize the value of rehabilitative care for individual wild animals. The CDFW works with interested agencies and organizations - volunteer and otherwise - to ensure high quality practices in the rehabilitation of sick, injured, orphaned, or displaced California wildlife.
The information was sourced from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (https://wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Coyote).


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By Benjamin Preiss
A FORMER student who is suing Geelong Grammar School says she decided to seek damages after she failed to qualify for her preferred university course.
Rose Ashton-Weir, 18, alleges Geelong Grammar gave her inadequate academic support, particularly in maths.
Seeking compensation in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, she said her final secondary school score was too low to study law at the University of Sydney.
Of her time at Geelong Grammar, she said: ''I didn't ever feel I was getting the support I needed to really excel.''
Ms Ashton-Weir boarded at the school in 2008 and 2009 but finished her secondary studies at a TAFE college in Sydney. She is in the first year of a double degree in arts and sciences at the University of Sydney.
Her mother, Elizabeth Weir, is also suing the school for lost income and other expenses.
She said she gave up her chocolate fortune cookie business - which she had expected to make $450,000 over three years - because her daughter moved from Geelong to live with her in New South Wales.
She is also seeking compensation for $39,000 in rent paid when they moved to another house in Sydney.
Earlier this week, Ms Weir said the school had known her daughter was gifted and had scored highly in an intelligence test, but struggled in maths.
Yesterday, Ms Ashton-Weir told the tribunal a teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall.
Darren Ferrari, representing Geelong Grammar, said Ms Ashton-Weir could have studied law at several other universities. ''You could have done law at Deakin University by correspondence,'' he said.
He said Ms Ashton-Weir had been placed on ''internal suspension'' a number of times while at the school. She was also poorly organised and had been absent from class many times.
Ms Ashton-Weir fell ill with glandular fever in early 2009 and went to stay with her mother at the end of term two. She did not return to Geelong Grammar.
Mr Ferrari said the school had tried to support Ms Ashton-Weir. ''The school wanted her to get through the year.''
He said Ms Ashton-Weir's school reports noted she was intelligent but failed to complete school work.
The hearing will resume in August.


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$43.05 $52.80
Memory capacity:4GB-8GB-16GB.
Pin number:260pin.
Encapsulation mode:BGA.
Memory frequency:2400MHz (PC4-19200s).
Type: Memory Bar
Product attributes: Original authentic
Suitable model: Laptop
Type: DDR4
Memory capacity: 4 GB-8 GB-16 GB
Pin number: 260 pin
Encapsulation mode: BGA
Memory frequency: 2400MHz (PC4-19200s)
Packaging: Box
The Laptop memory bar is universal and suitable for all notebooks.
Desktop memory bar is universal and suitable for all desktop computers.
Package included:
1 *Memory Bar
Note:Light shooting and different displays may cause the color of the item in the picture a little different from the real thing. The measurement allowed error is +/- 1-3cm.


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Blackout Blinds and Shades are Perfect for Bedrooms and Media Rooms
If you're looking for blackout shades, SelectBlinds.com has you—and your windows!—covered. We don't just offer one style of blackout shade. We believe that you should still have style options, and that's why we provide several different types of blackout shades in a variety of colors, patterns, and designs. Other retailers make you sacrifice style for blackout capabilities, but not at Select Blinds.
Black-out Bedroom Windows
Blackout shades and blinds are perfect for bedrooms, helping you get your best night's sleep every night. We even have blackout shades specifically designed for children, including fun designs and patterns, and they come standard with the cordless option. If you want more window covering and light blockage, go with outside mount blackout shades.
Blackout Windows For Media Rooms
Want a movie theater-like experience in your own home? Use blackout shades for media rooms. You'll have the best viewing experience because you won't have to worry about a glare on the TV screen. Blackout shades are also perfect if you're working on your computer and you want to limit all distractions around you.
Blackout Liners for Window Coverings
Some of the above shades are specifically designed to be blackout shades. However, some select products need a blackout liner, which can be added to your order during checkout. Without this liner, these products can't be classified as blackout shades.
With so many design options for blackout shades, it can be difficult to decide which will work best for your home. If you need help deciding, here are your basic style options:
- Honeycomb Black-out Shades. These shades are also known as cellular shades. They offer a multi-layered, cell design that provides additional insulation and noise reduction. They keep your energy costs down.
- Roller Blackout Shades. Roller shades are great if you have children, as they're easy to operate, and all of our roller shades are 100% cordless. Why not pick a fun pattern to get your kids excited about going to bed with blackout shades?
- Bamboo Shades. For a more contemporary, sophisticated look, opt for bamboo shades with a blackout liner. You'll get great texture and a unique look for your home. See, having both style and functionality is possible. These bamboo shades fold up just like roman shades, so you can have elegance, too.
- Roman Blackout Lined Shades. Blackout roman shades add the look of drapes but with the utility of traditional blinds or shades. You can choose between two fold options, including the classic pleated fold and the soft fold. Customize your blackout shades to match your style vision.
If you're looking for the best blackout shades, you've come to the right place. Choose any style of shades and create the blackout shades that work best for your lifestyle and sleep schedule.


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The Sweetest Word in the World Is Candy
Candy is the one word that makes people feel an instant wave of positivity and happiness upon hearing it.
Some may define their favorite candy as sweet and chewy like Swedish Fish or Red Vines, while others will name sour and fruity as the best. No matter how you specify what candy means to you, there's no escaping the pull of confectionary goodness.
Around the world, there are thousands of different types of candy, including varieties from Hershey's, Skittles, and Haribo, but did you know the U.S. ranks no.1 for candy consumption? It's no surprise with the variety of options available. Who doesn't love licorice, lollipops, or peppermints? Even those who are restricted to sugar-free candy or gluten-free candy have plenty of options. Suffice it to say, candy is so popular, there's something for everyone.
Don't wait for Halloween, birthdays, or another special occasion to stock up on candy. Your local Haggen has many of your favorite treats from some of the world's best brands, so stop by our store today.
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Federal judge refuses to toss John Doe lawsuit
MADISON (AP) — A federal judge in Milwaukee says a lawsuit seeking to stop a secret investigation into possible illegal coordination between conservative groups and recent recall campaigns can continue.
The conservative organization Club for Growth filed a federal lawsuit in February arguing the probe amounts to harassment and violates conservatives' free speech rights.
The prosecutors leading the investigation asked U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa to dismiss the suit, arguing federal courts should stay out of the case.
Randa refused the request Tuesday, concluding that key First Amendment rights are at stake in the case and Club for Growth has standing to bring a lawsuit. The judge also noted prosecutors wouldn't be immune from an injunction halting the investigation.


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Vero Software Breaks Company Sales Records at International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2016
Vero Software presented four solutions at IMTS 2016 in September, when it attracted visitors from 16 different countries and broke the company's record for sales made at a global metal-cutting event."The energy and enthusiasm in the booth was palpable as we demonstrated to attendees that we have the range of tools necessary to make them more efficient, while also helping them produce high-quality parts," said Nick Spurrett, Regional Director-Americas for Vero Software. "The response was overwhelmingly positive, which is reflected by our record-breaking sales."
Hosted in Chicago, Ill., IMTS featured more than 2,000 exhibitors and drew over 100,000 visitors. As such, it was an ideal platform for existing and potential Vero Software customers to see firsthand the latest technologies and time-saving features available in its EDGECAM, SURFCAM, VISI and WORKNC solutions.
The Vero booth at IMTS 2016 also featured the premier inclusion of a Hexagon ROMER portable measuring arm, by parent company Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Hexagon ROMER arms can be easily paired with Vero solutions for greater efficiency on the shop floor.
About Vero Software
Headquartered in England, Vero Software designs, develops, and supplies CAD/CAM/CAE software radically enhancing the efficiency of design and manufacturing processes, providing its customers with exceptional value through high productivity gains and significantly reducing time to market.
The company's world-renowned brands include ALPHACAM, CABINET VISION, EDGECAM, Machining STRATEGIST, PEPS, RADAN, SMIRT, SURFCAM, WORKNC and VISI, along with the production control MRP system JAVELIN. Despite the diversity of application, these solutions have one thing in common: they all address the rising challenges of achieving manufacturing efficiencies and bring huge value to the operations in which they are deployed.
Vero has direct offices in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Spain and India supplying products to more than 45 countries through its wholly owned subsidiaries and reseller network.
Vero is part of Hexagon (Nordic exchange: HEXA B), a leading global provider of information technologies that drive quality and productivity across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications.
For more information, please visit www.verosoftware.com.


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- Home
- Government
- Community Development Department
- Building & Safety Division
- Plans Submittals & Reviews
- Residential Plan Requirements
Residential Plan Requirements
The following lists the minimum requirements for a residential project. In unique situations, additional materials may be necessary. Geotechnical and soils reports are required for new buildings.
Who May Prepare Plans
State law regulating the architectural and engineering professions describes who may prepare plans for buildings. View the Who May Prepare Plans (PDF) for additional information.
Registered Civil Engineers or Certified Architect
Registered civil engineers or certified architects shall prepare plans for retaining walls over 4 feet in height, plans for all types of buildings other than those listed in the minimum requirements, or as required by the building official.
Signature on Plans
State law requires that the person who prepared the plans must sign all pages. The city building code also requires an address and telephone number of the person who prepared the plans. Please inquire at the Building and Safety Division if you have any further questions concerning submittal requirements for a specific project.
Minimum Requirements
- Plans
View Residential Plan Requirements (PDF) for more information. - Plot Plans (PDF)
View the Plot Plan Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Floor Plans (PDF)
View the Floor Plan Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Exterior Elevation Drawings (PDF)
View the Exterior Elevation Drawing Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Foundation and Floor Framing Plans (PDF)
View the Foundation and Floor Framing Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Roof Framing Plans (PDF)
View the Roof Framing Plan Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Cross-Section Drawings (PDF)
View the Cross-Section Drawing Plan Requirements (PDF) for additional information. - Title 24 Energy Documentation (PDF)
- Smoke Detector Requirements
On all plans for additions, interior alterations, or interior repairs over $1,000, smoke detectors are required on each floor. - Structural Plans and Calculations (PDF)
- Conditions of Approval
Where applicable, include Planning Commission Notice of Action letter for all conditions imposed in the approval of a variance, a use permit, a subdivision, or design review. - Encroachment Permit
This permit is required for all work performed in the right-of-way. - Soils Report
A report is required for all new construction. This report may be required for other work at the discretion of the building official. - Record of Survey (PDF)
- Other Department and Agency Approvals (PDF)
- School Impact Fees (PDF)
School impact fees are required to be paid prior to a building permit being issued. After the initial plan review, we will provide the applicant with a compliance letter to take to the school district to pay these fees if they are due.
School fees are paid to the San Juan Unified School District at: 3738 Walnut Avenue
Carmichael, CA 95608 - Sewer Connection and Impact Fees (PDF)
Sewer connection and impact fees are required to be paid prior to a building permit being issued for a new sewer connection. Sewer connection and impact fees are paid to Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District and may be reached at 916-876-6063. - Building Inspection Requests
When requesting a building inspection, please visit the building inspection page for assistance.
The city began using International Building Codes in January 2008. For additional information, refer to the Structural Design Criteria page.
Joseph Cuffe
Chief Building Official
Physical Address
6360 Fountain Square Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Phone: 916-727-4760Fax: 916-725-5799
Inspection Request Phone Line
Lobby Hours
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday


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THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Season 1 Episode 6 : Lost Girls
In a flashback sequence, Stefan reveals the Salvatore family history to Elena. Elena demands that Stefan explain the frightening events that have been happening in Mystic Falls. In flashbacks, Stefan explains how his rivalry with Damon began. Back in the present, Damon impulsively takes control of Vicki's future, and a confused and frightened Vicki runs away. Finally, Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood take steps to protect the town.
Episode Guide
Season 01
Season 02
Season 03
Season 04
Season 05
Season 06
Season 07
Season 08


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After releasing its BlackBerry Messenger chat app for Android and iOS devices to considerable fanfare last fall, BlackBerry on Thursday announced that it had expanded the app's functionality on those platforms with two key features.
Previously available only to users of BlackBerry's own mobile platform, BBM Voice and BBM Channels are now part of the company's offerings for Android and iPhone users as well, giving those customers the ability to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a WiFi or data connection, as well as chat with other BBM users about topics of mutual interest.
"Today's announcement gives Android and iPhone customers two great ways to connect with friends, family and colleagues, to build out communities around shared interests, and to follow favorite people and brands," said John Sims, BlackBerry's president of Global Enterprise Solutions.
'A Hybrid Between IM and Twitter'
BBM channels can be created by brands, businesses or individual users and are designed to help people share common interests in the broader BBM community.
"BBM Channels is like a hybrid between instant messaging, with one-to-one communication, and Twitter, in the sense that you can follow a celebrity or brand," Jeff Orr, senior practice director with ABI Research, told TechNewsWorld.
A user could set up an Olympics-focused channel using the feature, for example, and the resulting conversation could include multimedia elements, as well as offer the potential for moderation by the channel owner, he pointed out.
Dropbox Integration
In addition to BBM Channels and the calling functionality enabled by BBM Voice, the new version of the BBM app for Android and iOS includes one-click file and photo sharing, location sharing, more than 100 new emoticons, and Dropbox integration.
The new location-sharing feature, for example, powered by Glympse, gives BBM users a way to share their real-time location with one or several BBM contacts for a specified amount of time. Designed for situations when someone might be running late or out with friends, for instance, the feature allows users to specify precisely how long they want to share their location.
Built-in support for Dropbox, meanwhile, aims to make it easy to send large files like presentations and videos. BBM users on Android and iOS can send a file from their personal cloud directly to a BBM contact. At the other end, they can save the file directly to their smartphone or add it to their Dropbox account.
No Mere Marketing Tool
"By making all the functionality available across operating systems, this really shows that BBM is a messaging platform rather than just a marketing tool or gimmick the company is using to get more device sales," Orr said.
Moreover, "if the initial launch of iOS and Android support is any indication, it should be very well received by both consumers and business users — probably the Voice feature more than Channels," he predicted.
"BlackBerry has shown that it's very responsive to the needs of the market — it continues to update and innovate on the platform," Orr added. "This all bodes well."
'Where's the Money?'
Indeed, the addition of the new features is a natural progression, Chris Silva, a research director with Gartner, told TechNewsWorld.
"It seems like a continuation of their strategy to bring BlackBerry features to other platforms and use BBM as an enticement," Silva explained. "They've continued to play competitively and get on par with competitors."
There is "probably a bit of uncertainty on what happens with the product from here, given that the person in charge recently left," he noted, referring to the recent departure of Andrew Bocking, the executive vice president in charge of BBM.
Meanwhile, "the bigger question I have is, how does this play out as a revenue stream?" Silva said. In other words, "where's the money?"


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Good morning! There have been some questions regarding the details of the room Cassity and I designed. Then we'll move on to the regularly scheduled DIY posts.
These are the final professional shots of the beach themed room:
Handscraped Maple Hardwood (Style: Rockbridge/Color: Dusk)and Ikat panel (Multi) by Shaw Floors HGTV Home collection. The rug is listed as contemporary and even has a traditional feel to the design. We loved the pattern for our cottage room. As Lisa LaPorta agreed, an area rug is a great starting point for inspiration in your home.
COPEN BLUE by Sherwin Williams for HGTV Home.
SW0068 Copen Blue
We loved the detail of this chandelier when we found it and felt it added a touch of whimsy to the other red coral accents in the room. This chandelier was originally white. Painting it antique red was a fun way to add color to the room.
SW7587 Antique Red
- DIY: Our chandelier was originally white. Paint a thrift store find/old brass chandelier. Color shown is ANTIQUE RED by Sherwin Williams for HGTV Home.
- Shop: (better off with the DIY option with something like this because affordable red chandeliers are hard to find) Home Depot has a glass version.
We were limited by what was in the warehouse but chose a neutral color and clean lines. We both agree that furniture is a big purchase and should be neutral enough for when redesigning or changing accents in the future. Keeping big pieces neutral ensures many years of use and your money's worth!
- DIY: Add a neutral colored slip cover to your existing sofa or re-upholster in a neutral fabric. DIY drop cloth slip covers are a little challenging but affordable!
- Shop: Crate and Barrel, custom sofa covers http://www.comfort-works.com/
Place art on the floor to create the layout you'd like to show off on the wall. Find tips on how to hang art for a photo gallery HERE. Look for art with a theme. Add a plate, wooden letters or mirrors for interest.
- DIY: Frame prints from books, calendars or printed from a site such as Vintage Printables. Do something unexpected. Mix in a canvas with framed prints. We used double sided tape to display a starfish on the square plate. Non-matchy letters were all painted a pretty oil rubbed bronze and sanded for a distressed look. Round mirrors simulate port hole windows keeping within the nautical theme. {Tips for Hanging a Wall Gallery}. Placing a mirror (from Michael's) or convex mirror into a painted pie pan or plate could give you a similar look to the port hole mirrors.
- Shop:
- Small Sepia Nautical Art: Amazon
DIY version using convex mirrors and pie tins:
- DIY: Stack crates and top with glass for a vintage look. Often a yard sale or flea market find or build your own crates using reclaimed wood or pallets. Stamp or stencil wording and sand/distress for a vintage finish.
I have this accent table in my barn patio area:
Crate with an old vintage window top…
or use an old barrel as a side table like we did in our sitting room:
- Shop: Joann Fabrics, Michaels, Vintage crates at Ebay
- DIY: Accessorize varying sizes of lanterns with small plants for terrariums or add candles with sea shells, star fish or palm leaves. Wrap candles with jute to add texture. (Paint lanterns if desired.)
- Shop: Target, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc.
- DIY: Paint/decoupage a paper mache horse
- Shop: Linens N Things, Country Door
- DIY: Use large wrought iron salvaged pieces or a small piece of iron fencing to make a statement and a large clock for balance. Accessorize with old books tied with twine and pottery. Shop thrift stores or yard sales. Find a shape of ceramic pottery and spray paint a pretty turquoise if needed.
- Shop:
- Vintage Books – Etsy
- Red coral – 15.97 at Amazon
- Cloche. Everything looks special under glass. Try Pottery Barn or search for glass sconces and globes (turn upside down)/etc. at thrift stores.
- DIY: Scour thrift shops for lamps in shapes you love. I just scored two turquoise lamps at GoodWill! Spray paint desired color in a glossy finish. Try Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze or Catalina Mist.
- Shop:
- Crystal – JCP. Acrylic – Lamps Plus.
- DIY: Use a small old drawer as a tray for books. Add vintage hardware to the sides for handles. Fill a bowl with glass orbs or DIY your own orbs using twine or seashells to add texture. Spray paint accent bowl if you can't find the right color in thrift stores. Spray paint small urns and fill with grass. Small thrifted ceramic fish or other themed accent can be painted to coordinate. Give an accent the spotlight by displaying it under a glass cloche.
- Shop: CSN.
- DIY: Search Craig's List or estate sales for wicker chairs. Great texture! Spray paint brown to freshen up or a fun color if you love the unexpected. Add neutral cushions.
- Shop: Pottery Barn
- DIY: Built it yourself (info on this coming soon) or give an old ottoman a new look using fabric similar to this:
- Shop: Neiman Marcus
- DIY: Sew or No-Sew using typography printed fabric or grain sacks.
- Shop: Pottery Barn and Etsy
- So many wooden step stools can be found at thrift stores and yard sales. Paint and distress if needed!
- Shop: TJ Maxx and HomeGoods seem to have the best prices for ceramic garden stools (under $50)
We hung two large vertical prints on the left side of the window to balance the art on the right.
- Shop: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, Amazon
- Shop: Great price on sale at JCPenney!
Hang drapery as high as possible to add height to a room. Expand rods past the window and "frame" window with drapery to allow the maximum amount of light into the room.
- DIY: Sew your own simple curtains using drop cloths or white linen fabric. Rod pocket or using curtain rings with clips to hang. Using white/off white twin sheets is also an inexpensive option.
- Shop: Overstock
- Shop: HomeDecorators
- DIY: Subway Art Tutorial
- Shop: Etsy (subway art), Easel
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United aim to cash in after takeover boost
The Whites manager is desperate to freshen up his squad in a bid to arrest a run of seven league games without a win and he is looking to bring in a defender and a forward before Saturday's home against against top of the table Crystal Palace.
Funds to make deals before the loan market closes today have been made available after Dubai-based investment bank GFH have put in an immediate injection of cash.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe signing of the takeover deal marks the start of a one-month transitional period in terms of full change in ownership and control of the club. Following Football League approval, GFH will be 100 per cent shareholders.
GFH Capital executive David Haigh will join the board of Leeds United with immediate effect with fellow GFH Capital executives Hisham Alrayes and Salem Patel joining next month.
Ken Bates will remain as chairman for a transition period until the end of the season and will then become club president.
He said: "I can confirm we have now completed all the negotiations with GFH Capital. We have completed the first part of the purchase and they will be taking over 100 per cent of the club. Meanwhile, there is a transitional period while they get to know more about the club.
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Hide Ad"I will continue as chairman until the end of the season when I will take over as president and I look forward to sitting back and taking more time off. Neil Warnock will continue as manager with more support than the present owners have been able to give and we look forward to a smooth transition.
"One thing I can say that has benefited from the negotiations is that this six-month courtship has given GFH Capital the opportunity to see the strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be supported. You can look forward to a smoother transition than we've seen at a lot of clubs.
"I'd like to thank, on behalf of Suzannah and myself, the tremendous support we have received over the years, particularly over the last 12 to 18 months which hasn't been easy, but has made us more determined to see the job through."
David Haigh, Deputy CEO, GFH Capital Limited said: "After a long process of negotiations, spanning Leeds, London, Monaco, Dubai and Bahrain, it gives us great pride today, to have completed the deal for Leeds United.
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Hide Ad"We have today injected further funds into the club and now we look to the future and start the exciting journey to take Leeds United back into a prime position in English football once again.
"From a Leeds family myself and a supporter since childhood, I know that football is at the very heart of the people of Leeds and the wider community.
"We want to thank all the fans in the UK and around the world for their patience and support while the negotiations have been taking place. Let's now march on together, taking the club back to the Premier League as soon as possible."


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Cafe Luc, wine on tap
Wine on tap. Can I have one of those for my flat, please? While it might be unreasonable to have a 10 litre keg of wine in my flat, it's a very good idea for restaurant house wines. Think of it, minimal wastage, stays fresh for at least a week and is very economical as the wine comes in a wine cask that can be easily and quickly refilled.
The owner of Cafe Luc, Luc van Oostende is originally from Belgium and founded the original Cafe Luc in Ghent 13 years ago. His aim was to have a modern European brasserie, serving quality food and wine. So where does wine on tap come into the equation if it's supposed to be "quality" wine? Well, I'll tell you. Cafe Luc have a long standing relationship with their very own supplier, Charles Grisar, who has managed to source some very good house wines that are technically speaking, "bag in box." Bag in box does have a rather harsh reputation but I see no problem with them if the wine itself is well made. We're not talking premier cru but entry level French wines are in general quite drinkable.
There have 7 wines on tap. 4 whites and 3 reds. Cafe Luc uses only one supplier and his wines are all French. The 4 whites are a Cote de Duras s. blanc, a Macon, a Sancerre and a Chablis. Unfortunately, on our visit the coolers were not working properly and the wines were a bit warm but the Sancerre and Chablis still exhibited the typical characteristics you would expect from those wines. The Chablis was actually a bit cooler the rest and was quite good with my Crab Tian, crisp and minerally with a nice lemon finish.
Of the three reds, the St. Estephe (£7.50/125 ml glass) was the best choice for my duck confit although the Chinon came in a close second. The other red, a Cotes de Thongue Syrah/Cab blend (£3.80 /125 ml) was not bad but for £1.40 more, I'd spring for the Chinon. We were both quite taken with the Chinon and thought it was an excellent example of Cab franc, earthy, minerally but with that distinctive spicy blackcurrant character and a slight hint of brett, which I adore! Some people liken it to sniffing on a box of band-aids but to me, I could just sniff it all day.
I have to say, I was fairly impressed by the wines on tap. There were just as good if not better then other house wines that are available in brasseries and cafes and infinitely better then the syrupy, alcoholic red winds or the astringent, pale imitations of pinot grigio that seems to be prevalent in far too many bars and pubs. The wines are priced according to size, from £3.80 to £7.50 for 125 mls and for 175 mls they were priced from £5.00 to £10.50, mind these were for the wines on tap and we are on the Marylebone High Street. Other wines were also available by the glass but they were from a bottle and so of course, were more expensive.
As on the Continent, good wine shouldn't have to be outrageously expensive to be enjoyed with a meal. I think that Cafe Luc have succeeded in bringing good quality, affordable wine to the English cafe dining experience, just like they do on the Continent.
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- Official Wine Tasting Site » Cafe Luc, wine on tap « The Winesleuth - [...] Wine on tap. Can I have one of those for my flat, please? While it might be unreasonable to…


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[UPDATE:] Although Microsoft has yet to reveal any details about its next Xbox, we finally know when the curtain will be lifted: the next Xbox will be unveiled on May 21 on Microsoft's home turf in Redmond, WA. The unveiling promises to give us just a glimpse though, with more details planned for E3. Plus we may still have to wait a bit for things like pricing and details on what are certain to be multiple bundles, and Microsoft could always take the Nintendo route and not announce a release date beyond "Holiday 2013" (although this is probably unlikely with Sony breathing down Microsoft's neck).
We have gone through and updated this list with some of the new rumors, as well as a few of the things that have been confirmed. We will do so again as new rumors and info are leaked, right up until we have some actual facts directly from the mouth of Microsoft to replace them with.
February's highly publicized Sony event that served as the official announcement of the PlayStation 4 is in the rearview mirror now, and the ball is in Microsoft's court as fans clamor for more information about the as-yet-unnamed successor to the Xbox 360.
There's been no shortage of rumors leading up to – and in the wake of – Sony's announcement that cast a comparative eye on Microsoft's plans for the Xbox 720… or is it the Durango? Or maybe just Xbox? Along with the console's name, many of the aspects of the next Xbox are likewise unknown, though certain rumors seem to have more credibility than others.
From the schedule Microsoft plans to keep regarding announcing the console, to the system's use of high-end, recently announced peripherals, here's where we stand on some of the biggest rumors about the company's next-generation gaming system:
The Big Debut
As we mentioned above, the official unveiling will occur on May 21 in Redmond, WA. It is unclear exactly what will be revealed, but we should at least finally put to rest the name debate. We'll also get a look at the philosophy of the system. Will it be a gaming system that also acts as an entertainment device, or will it be an entertainment device that also plays games? The difference is important
During the[the May 21 unveiling], we'll share our vision for Xbox and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19 days later at E3, we'll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster gaming experiences.
The teams here at Xbox have been very busy and are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we've been working on.
After the event we'll have a short wait until E3 comes around in June, when we should get even more questions answered, possibly including some of the more tech-centric details.
Shelf Date
With the PS4 confirmed to hit shelves this holiday season, it's a good bet that Microsoft will plan to put the next Xbox in direct competition with Sony later this year. In November of last year, a source told Bloomberg to expect a November 2013 release for the new system. That seems a very likely target for the company, as both the Xbox 360 and its predecessor were on shelves in November 2005 and November 2001, respectively.
The Name Game
Even though "Xbox 720" is the most used name for the console, nothing is official yet regarding Microsoft's preferred branding for the system. The list of names attached to the system (via rumor, early developer units, and other unofficial sources) is long, and includes catchy labels like "Loop," "Infinity," and "Kryptos" – though the heavy favorite is still "720." It has even been suggested that the system will simply be titled "Xbox," yet that seems unlikely. Another popular name being bandied about is "Durango," but that appears to be the official code name of the development model of the console. Consoles as far back as the Atari 2600 (which was known as "Stella" during its development) have had code names that were discarded once the final product was revealed. The PS4 was known as "Orbis," the Xbox 360 was code named "Xenon," and the "Revolution" was re-branded as the Wii. Interestingly though, the original Xbox was code named… "Xbox." Of course, that was before Microsoft became a major player in the gaming world, so "Durango" still seems unlikely.
A Question of Price
In a report that also predicted a November shelf date for Microsoft's new console, Baird Equity Research further speculated that the Xbox successor (as well as the PS4) would retail for $350-400. This isn't too far off-base for Microsoft, which dropped the 20 Gb model of the Xbox 360 on shelves with a $399 price tag in 2005. However, it will be interesting to see where the final price point falls in that range, given the PS3's starting price of $499 when it arrived in 2006, a move that many still consider to have been the primary reason that the PS3 fared so poorly during its launch.
Super Specs
No surprise here: the hardware in the next Xbox is expected to be a major upgrade from its predecessor, with VGLeaks reporting that the console will have similar – although slightly less powerful – specs than the PlayStation 4, with 8 CPU cores running at a speed of 1.6 Ghz, 8 GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 6x Blu-Ray drive.
Additional rumors indicate that the console will be available in multiple bundles, specifically a 250 GB and 500 GB HDD models, which makes sense, given the likelihood that downloadable games will be a high priority for the console. Popular speculation also suggests that many next-generation games will require the installation of hefty amounts of data in order to reduce load times and expand beyond disk-reading limitations.
Building A Better Media Hub
Chief among the rumored features aimed at making the next Xbox the center of your home entertainment universe is the packaging of the next Kinect motion-control device with every console sold. Kinect will not only receive a huge upgrade with the arrival of the next Xbox console, but improvements to voice recognition, object detection, and the field of view (among other elements) will make the Kinect a mandatory part of the home media experience on the next-generation Xbox. There have also been reports that Microsoft will look at ways to introduce more "props" into gaming. Nintendo had huge success with its peripherals like the Wii Balance Board, so this isn't all that surprising.
During CES earlier this year, Microsoft also unveiled what it is calling "IllumiRoom," a device that combines Kinect technology with a projector to turn your wall into a monitor that you can interact with through gestures. So far Microsoft has only suggested this technology for use with computers – imagine turning any surface into a keyboard and monitor – but it is now confirmed as a peripheral that will "extend the gaming content out of your TV, creating a truly immersive experience."
A report published by Kotaku also describes a multitasking ability on the next Xbox that will allow users to effectively pause games, switch to a different program, interact with it, and then return to their game without the need to save or quit their session. Additional rumors suggest that the new console will also have some level of DVR-like media consumption and storage abilities, and feature some integration with the popular, Microsoft-owned Skype technology that has become the go-to system for Voice Over IP communication – essentially allowing users to take calls via their Xbox in the middle of gaming sessions or television marathons.
A New Controller For A New Xbox
A report from CVG suggests that Microsoft will jump on the touch-screen controller bandwagon with Nintendo and Sony and release a new controller for the next-generation Xbox that features a touch pad in addition to the requisite sticks, triggers, and buttons. The new controller, which is also rumored to use a new wireless technology that will make old Xbox 360 controllers incompatible with the next model, will be more akin to the PS Vita than the bulky Wii U, according to the report.
There are also reports that Microsoft would like to introduce a version of its Surface tablet for use with the new Xbox. One way or another, there will be some integration between Windows 8 and the Xbox, and there's no reason to think that integration won't include tablets – the only question is to what degree?
What About The Games?
The internet is filled with conflicting rumors regarding the ability to play used games on the next Xbox, with multiple reports suggesting that the system will require an always-on Internet connection in order to verify the authenticity of games being played on the system. While subsequent reports have suggested that the secondhand game market won't be entirely eliminated form the next-generation of Microsoft's console, it could very well be limited, with activation codes like those used for the multiplayer elements of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games becoming the norm for unlocking most of a game's functionality. According to Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen, backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games isn't likely for the next-gen console, either.
With used games it sounds more and more like there won't be a technical impediment for the hardware to play used games. Sony already confirmed that the PS4 wouldn't have any issues with used games – at least from a technical standpoint. Sony and Microsoft are both publishers as well as manufacturers, so it is no surprise that both would be happy to see the death of used games to increase their publishing profits, but as manufacturers, it may be akin to a game of chicken. One of the most asked questions of the PS4 was whether or not it would play used games. It's important to gamers, so if one system did block used games while the other didn't that could be one of the most important deciding factors for consumers when deciding which side to pick in the next wave of the console wars.
To be Always on, or Not to be
One of the consistent and most contentious of rumors regarding the NextBox is that it will require an internet connection, and need to be always online to function. This rumor has not sat will with fans. A persistent Internet connection makes some sense though, assuming the console is positioning itself as a home entertainment device as much as a gaming console. It also would mean the original new video content Microsoft is creating would be guaranteed to find a potential audience.
Still, the backlash was strong enough that Microsoft Studios' creative director Adam Orth chimed in on Twitter and told fans to "deal with it." That seemingly confirmed the worst fears of many, and enraged an already angry fanbase. Soon after, Orth was no longer with Microsoft, and Larry Hyrb issued an apology for the comments and stated that Orth was not speaking for Microsoft. Further rumors have since suggested that the NextBox will not require an always on connection, which if true means all the earlier rumors were either wrong to begin with, or that Microsoft listened to the outcry and decided to remove this condition.
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It took just six seconds to turn me into a social video fan.
Six seconds is the time it takes to shoot a video using a marvelous new smartphone app called Vine. Released late last month by social networking titan Twitter, Vine is already one of the 100 most popular free apps for the iPhone, probably because it makes sharing a video almost as simple as transmitting a tweet.
There are already a host of social video companies, and Vine's sudden success could be disastrous for them, but I don't think so. Six seconds isn't a lot of screen time. And it might be nice to add special effects to a video, the way users of apps like Instagram can do with still photos. I'm guessing that Vine's popularity will attract many people to its more sophisticated rivals.
But if you're not already into social video, by all means start with Vine. It's a free download at Apple's App Store; no, it's not yet available for phones and tablets running Google Inc.'s Android software, but the day will come.
You create an account on the service using your Facebook or Twitter account, or an e-mail address. I hooked up via Twitter, and Vine hooked me up with Twitter followers who also use Vine. Now I see all their postings, and they see mine.
Creating a video is a model of simplicity. Point the camera and touch the screen. As long as the finger remains in contact, the video camera rolls. Lift your finger and it stops. Continue until you've shot for six seconds. Vine saves the video, and gives you the option to attach a text message. You can route your minimovie to Twitter, Facebook, or Vine's own network. And you're done.
But what can you show in just six seconds? You'd be amazed. Just as Twitter's 140-character limit forces people to write more efficiently, Vine goads you into looking more closely at the world, to identify visuals that get to the point. Go to vine.co/blog to see some examples, and prepare to be impressed.
Unlike other social video programs, Vine lets you start and stop the camera multiple times during the six-second shooting spree. This lets you build little stop-action animations out of real world people and objects. I've been using it to shoot the headlines from each day's Globe and turn them into a snappy little news summary. The headlines race by mighty fast, but that's OK; Vine videos automatically replay over and over.
The worst thing about Vine is some of the clowns who use it. There has been a torrent of six-second smut videos. Twitter has responded by saying that the app should be used only by those age 17 and older. It's a feeble reaction, but I'm not sure what more Twitter can do. After all, you can find far worse by running a Google search. Ultimately, it is up to parents to shield their kids.
Much as I enjoy Vine, sometimes you need more than six seconds to make your point. Just about every rival social video app gives you more time. Tout, for instance, ups the limit to 15 seconds, and another, called Keek, has settled on a 36-second time limit. Keek, by the way, has a cool "keekback" feature that encourages your online friends to shoot videos of their own as replies to your offerings. There is also Klip, a service that starts you at one minute of shooting, but ups it to three minutes if you can persuade friends to sign up.
One of the most popular social video services, Socialcam, lets you shoot as long as you like. Socialcam also has a suite of video effects that let you fine tune the appearance of your video. Then you can add on-screen titles and a musical soundtrack. Another app called Viddy also offers visual effects and soundtracks, but limits shooting to 15 seconds.
Does it matter which video app you choose? Not all that much. Except for Vine, the ones I've listed are available for Android or Apple devices. They each have their own social communities, so you and your friends might want to use the same app. But these apps make it easy to share your work with friends on Facebook or Twitter, which is where people usually hang out anyway.
So choose the app that best suits your cinematic style — Socialcam for videos of epic ambition, perhaps, or Viddy for something short, sharp, and polished. For the absolute beginner, I'd recommend Vine. Then even if your videos are lousy, the pain only lasts for six seconds.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Earlier in the week, I talked about 1980's Karz, and specifically the "Om Shanti Om" number, in the context of Rishi's ability to turn on the sunshine. In the Kapoor biography by Madhu Jain (problematic in many ways, but we'll take whatever reference materials we can get), Rishi is shown as a fairly complex personality: moodier, touchier, less friendly and outgoing than the other Kapoors. Unlike his screen persona, he claims to be completely unromantic in real life. As far as acting is concerned, it sounds like he went into the family business by default: "I didn't make a great effort. I just did what I was told. My father used to show me what to do and I did it." (The Kapoors, page 294) Although I think that's a serious underestimating, it does say something about how he's viewed his career.
Sometimes, too, I ponder the fact that Bobby features a character in rebellion against his cold, apparently unloving father -- with the actor directed by his real-life father.
In Karz, his Monty is an orphan who's been "adopted" by a rich man, even given his surname, but it's really all a sham to exploit Monty's singing talent, when all Monty really wants is love, and a family. "Don't call me Daddy!" the old man keeps snapping. Hmmm.
Still, whatever went on in his life, when he's called upon, he can come across on screen like the happiest person in the world. When Rishi was performing, he was able to convey something very different than the way his reality is described -- taking it, of course, with a grain of "who knows what the truth is, and it isn't my business." Because I'm watching a movie; it was his job to entertain me in that movie; and no matter how silly the premise, how flimsy the story, he gave it everything he had.
Which has an interesting resonance in just how often in those movies Rishi is actually playing a performer: a musician in a band, a drummer at the temple, a singer of qawwalis or of modern pop songs. Inside of the movies, Rishi was always on stage, an entertainer literally playing an entertainer.
One thing I need to point out here: the ability to lip synch is a skill that tends to be underappreciated, because when it's done well, there's a flawless illusion that the actor is singing. In that case, it obviously isn't noticed. Rishi lip synchs with technical accuracy, but also in a way that seems really natural. Most importantly, he does it with conviction. When I think of actors using the song picturizations and playback singers to really convey emotion, thus creating emotional identification in the audience, he and Shah Rukh Khan are the two who leap to my mind. Both of them are primarily performers, entertainers, rather than actors -- which is not to say they aren't good actors. It's to say that, in my mind, they're more than actors.
So it seems appropriate that the first time I ever saw Shah Rukh was when he metamorphed into Rishi's Karz performance in the opening of Om Shanti Om. My fate as a Bollywood fan was pretty much sealed on the spot.
The story of Karz: rich man maries pretty girl. She kills him for his money. His mother stands up to Kali and demands that her son return home to her, as he promised, so he is reborn in the body of Monty: singer, guitarist, violinist, trumpet player, and incurable romantic. Which reminds me, the other day I mentioned how in Hindi films, even the trumpet can be played for good, as Rishi does here and in Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, or for evil, as Amrish Puri does in Dance Dance. Too bad they never faced off in a trumpet competition: it could have been like "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," with bulging cheeks.
At any rate, just like SRK will in Om Shanti Om, Monty begins to have flashbacks to his past life, tracks down his old family and, most importantly, the old villains who plotted his previous death. Only he takes more time to woo the pretty girls with his violin (and no, that's not a double entendre).
Many people talk about how this movie is a rip-off of the American flash-in-the-pan The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (I remember 1975, when everyone was talking about it, but it's largely forgotten today, and has never been released on DVD). Other people point out that Hindi movies like Madhumati predated that, and besides, where did the idea of reincarnation come from in the first place, hmm?
The pre-reincarnated version of Monty is pretty good-looking, which I hadn't remembered from my first viewing: so blinded was I by the sequins, apparently. He's played by Raj Kiran, who's in Star (which I own, but haven't gotten to yet). There's also a movie called Ghar Ek Mandir, in which he and Mithun play Shashi Kapoor's brothers. Calling Netflix! Somehow, when Shashi and Mithun are in the same movie, it's like worlds colliding. Matter and anti-matter? It seems so wrong, but somehow the idea draws me into its vortex.
Speaking of Mithun, I always think Karz sort of accidentally set the stage for his career. The much-maligned music is Laxmikant Pyaralel's attempt to mimic contemporary "pop." Personally, I love the music, but we've well established that I have what can be charitably called "camp taste." Once you have the "Om Shanti Om" song, with Kishore Kumar's soulful vocals layered on top of a disco "wacka wacka" rhythm, we're alreay on the road that will lead to the evergreen tunes of the Disco Dancer soundtrack. The basic template of "stage performer seeks revenge" with aggressively "trendy" songs (heavily showcasing whatever electronic effects happened to become available, or with picturizations that increasingly borrow from American pop culture) really kicks off here. These elements were already around, of course, but Karz strikes me as an archetypal film, where it all came together, for better or worse.
As for Rishi, Karz is really the swan song of his career in young love. After this, he did credible romantic performances in Yeh Vaada Raha (1982), Nagina (1986), and Chandni (1989), but by then, they'd put him in the sweaters full time, and he'd never really be able to pull off the kind of callowness he still has in Karz. Some movies, as in the first half of Deewana (1992), still attempt to put him in the role of frolicking innocent, but it doesn't come off well, and that's a movie where he no longer seems to be having any fun at all. And, well, there's the snaky Sheshnaag (1990), but in that he's more a holy fool type than a romantic lead.
Disclaimer: this is all keeping in mind that there a zillion films we're dealing with, and I've only seen a fraction of them, proportionately speaking, so I am in fact making a sweeping generalization prone to revision at any time.
One last thing: I knew I wanted some illustrations from the "Om Shanti Om" number, partly because it's such one of Rishi's famous moments, but mainly because of my personal associations. Before seeing the Karz clip in Om Shanti Om, I had no idea of all the awesomeness waiting for me out there in world. (Then, of course, "Dard-e-Disco" came along and did me in completely). At the same time, this song could be a very easy thing to make fun of, and I certainly didn't want to do that, even unintentionally. I'm not making fun of Rishi here. Not at all! I love him sincerely, in all his glittery glory.
It's sad to see the end of my self-imposed Rishi Week, although I know there'll be more in the future, what with him being my ishta devata and all. Until then, remember, "Om Shanti Ommmmmmmmm -- HA!"


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Photo by Stevie D. We recently reported that Buckcherry unleashed their brand new single 'Gluttony' off of their forthcoming album 'Confessions.' The band is now offering a free download of the track for today (Dec. 10) only. 'Gluttony' is the first single off of Buckcherry's upcoming sixth studio album, 'Confessions,' which is due out Feb. 19, 2013, via Century Media Records. Buckcherry have also unveiled a lyric video (watch below) for the new track so you can keep up with frontman Josh Todd's speedy delivery of the verses. In a press release, guitarist Keith Nelson states the following about the new album: "You get 100 percent of what we are and what we're about. We don't apologize for it." The unrepentant anthem that is 'Gluttony' proves just that. The band recently wrapped up a string of UK dates and are set to headline a run of North American shows in late December and January. They will also be out on the road with Kid Rock beginning in February. For a full list of dates and cities, go here . [button href="http://www.centurymedia.com/specials/buckcherry/" title="Click to Download Buckcherry's 'Gluttony' for Free" align="center"] Check out Buckcherry's Lyric Video for 'Gluttony' Below
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Buckcherry Offer Free Download of New Single 'Gluttony'